


Baby Lion Lost His Teeth

by coldwarqueer



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred is a Vampire, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Chimeras, Ivan also has two penises, Ivan is a Merman, M/M, Vampires, merfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:45:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1575710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldwarqueer/pseuds/coldwarqueer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>All he could think about were the days he had missed in the sun</i>
</p><p>Magical Creature AU Vampire!Alfred, Merman!Ivan M for sexual content and gore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> something new i'm starting because i apparently hate myself
> 
> anyway all you really need to know is that chimeras are the result of two different magical creatures breeding

Of all the stupid dumb things that Alfred had done in his life, getting his pants caught on the spear of a hotel fence was near the top. He had a feeling he looked pretty comical, pants torn around the thighs and belt loops ruined. It was one thing to joke about failing to jump a fence, it was another to joke about failing to keep his only decent pair of pants.

He was so not in the mood for this.

Two hundred years ago he would have thought vampires to be a little more graceful. Turns out that was a big fat lie the small colony towns told just to keep the kids scared, because every vampire as young as Alfred was doing the same reckless shit teenagers always did- although for Alfred it tended to last several centuries longer.

“I thought Levi’s were supposed to last,” Alfred muttered to himself, patting down the rips in his jeans. He wondered when he was allowed to graduate to Dracula Level dress code.

Then again, the cape might be a little much.

Alfred stretched out, glancing at the dark lit pool. A couple of blue lights were on, but other than that the pool was dark and inviting. Exactly what a prowler of the night would want after a hot, stuffy day of staying huddled in a dark, tropical hole.

Tossing clothes off, Alfred jumped into the pool. Perhaps his midnight dip was illegal, but it was no less satisfying.

A long sigh escaped him as he drifted on his back. Alfred closed his eyes, dipping below the water. Not needing to breathe had its benefits. Being undead had its perks.

Alfred shuddered and snapped up, floating on top of the water as he glanced around. The water was disturbed, like there was something swimming underneath him. Alfred had a feeling there wasn’t going to be a wayward fish in a Florida hotel pool thirty miles inland.

He slipped beneath the water line, looking around. While he couldn’t see very well, it didn’t sting his eyes like it would a human’s.

Except not seeing very well didn’t keep him from seeing the very angry merman two inches away from his face.

Bubbles escaping him, Alfred choked and rose above the water, swimming towards the shallow end. He flopped up on land, choking up water. “Shit-” He caught himself and covered his mouth, eyes wide as the merman leered from the water.

Well. That was something he hadn’t been expecting.

“Wow…” Alfred exhaled. He’d never seen a merman before. It was a merman right? There was something off about his eyes and his nose, something not quite…focused about it. “Are you using a glamour?”

The merman disappeared below the water once more, floating off to the deep end once more. Alfred followed along the edge of the pool. “Hey-” Alfred knelt down at the deep end. “Hey, you speak English?”

Bubbles rose to the surface and the wide head of the merman appeared once more. The width slowly tapered. Alfred recognized the glamour and sat still. “Hey, do you speak English?”

Silence followed, but Alfred knew the look in the merman’s eyes. Curiosity- curiosity and irritation at that.

“Not well.”

Alfred nodded. At least he knew he could speak

“Do you like…live in the pool? That must get pretty exciting in the morning.” Alfred slowly sat back on his haunches, watching as the merman darted below the water a few times. He had a look about him that implied little to no social experience.

“Stay here at night,” the merman bubbled, his webbed hands slowly reaching up to raise up a little out of the water. He was built well, as mermen usually were. Swimming constantly made someone strong.

“No, like…how did you get washed into the pool? Like, Aquamarine style? Since you can’t exactly walk- are those legs?”

The merman dunked down, kicking two very humanoid feet above the water, then a tail.

“Hoooly shit,” Alfred breathed, leaning forward. He grunted, jumping back as the merman popped up again.

“I walk. Stay on land during day, sleep in pool at night.” The merman gripped the edges of the pool and hoisted himself up on land, scaring Alfred further back. He pointed to himself with his olive finger. Alfred kept an eye on his sharp nails. “Name Ivan.”

Alfred kept an eye on those greedy, sharp teeth. Shark. He was definitely dealing with a shark.

“So what’s with the…y’know…” Alfred eyed the merman’s legs. “Y’know. The…legs.”

The merman shrugged. “Always had legs.” He held up his hands, that Alfred noticed were much less webbed than the usual merman’s. “You call me something else. Not sure word, but you have word for it.”

Alfred watched him for a moment, examining him from head to tail- and to toe, since Ivan appeared to have both. What was he talking about? They had a word for- for what? Mutations?

It clicked. “Chimera. You’re a chimera.”

Ivan shrugged. “That. I am that, I suppose. Becomes very convenient sometimes, but very hard others.”

“So you live in a…hotel pool.”

“Stay here at night.” Ivan nodded. He was eyeing Alfred, something like hunger in his eyes. Alfred didn’t trust it- a merman who hadn’t eaten was a danger to everyone around them. “Sometimes stay other place.”

He jabbed a finger at Alfred, making him jump back. “You’re leech.”

Quite offended, Alfred furrowed his brow and made a face. “Leech? Are you kidding me?” Probably one of the most offensive things to call a vampire. Even nightcrawler was better than leech. Not to mention it was way old fashioned. Most days if someone wanted to offend him they just called him Dracula or something. Hell, that was even a compliment sometimes.

“You suck blood. You are leech.”

“Hey, that’s a pretty offensive. I get that you’re trying to like…interact, but it’d be nice if you didn’t call me a leech.” Alfred didn’t like being associated with a worm that fed off the strong. He was a predator, a deadly, lithe animal that hunted for fun and for food. “I prefer being called like…a tiger or something.”

“You are leech. You feed from others.” The merman’s fingers jabbed further at Alfred, snickering. It sounded like a gargle. “It nice that you think so strong and important.”

“At least I’m not stuck sleeping in a hotel pool at night.”

“Sometimes I sleep in kiddy pools.”

“That’s not much better.”

Ivan shrugged. “Less chlorine.” He rubbed his cheeks. “Like breathing in smoke all night here. Imagine sleeping in smoky room. Breathing in, all night.”

“Why don’t you like, y’know… Go back to the ocean. You could walk there in a night. Hell, you could find a river to swim downstream like a mile from here.” Alfred moved into a crouch, eye to eye with the merman. Something was fishy here. No pun intended.

Ivan leered and slithered back into the pool. He resumed the state of peering at Alfred half submerged beneath the blue waters.

“Did I hit a touchy subject?” Alfred couldn’t help but feel a little smug about it. “Come on, get out of there, slinky.” He knelt beside the edge and reached a hand out to splash the water, only to yank it back as strong jaws snapped at the water beneath him. “Jesus H Christ!” He supposed that’s what he got for poking the bear. Or the shark, as it was.

Ivan swam further down, further back to the deep end of the pool. Alfred had a feeling he didn’t want to come back this time.

“I probably deserve that,” Alfred muttered to himself, slowly rising to his feet. He glanced down at himself, making a face. Despite how he couldn’t feel the cold, a few parts of him still reacted the way a naked body normally does in cool weather.

Huffing, Alfred snatched a forgotten towel off the hotel lawn chair. Sometimes merfolk could be so snippy. Not that Alfred had ever met a merperson before this. He’d always been pretty landlocked, and freshwater merfolk were scarce.

Alfred shook his head and dried off before tossing the towel into the pool. “Hey, get out of the pool for a bit, why don’t you. And maybe you should head back to ocean!” Alfred tossed on his ripped pants and his band tee before vacating the pool area.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oral rendezvous in the park late at night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you kids are going to learn a lot more about shark penises than u probably ever wanted it

The sea had always been home. Blue, and clear, clean cut and fresh. Ivan remembered blowing bubbles as a young pup in the reef.

He felt like he was suffocating.

No clean water, no homey smooth spot in the tiny cove beneath the coral where he loved to sleep. There was a tight spot in his chest where the soft, gentle warmth should be.

His eyes snapped open as he heard voices. Voices. There weren’t supposed to be voices.

Ivan floundered to the surface, peering up over the edge of the pool. Maintenance. Had he slept in?

When the maintenance boy went to the shed Ivan slithered up, to hide behind the shed, knowing he wouldn’t be seen. He gathered up the meager clothing he had stolen from various areas, pulling up his glamour tight.

He was breathing heavy as the pool boy scurried about, doing his business. He ducked behind the shed where there was a hole cut in the wire for his needs. Too close.

\---

Ivan was never good at blending in. The humans always noticed something off about him- it didn’t help his glamour was often weak. Merfolk didn’t have powerful magicks like the other magical folk did, but they managed. They had to, around humans. But usually they were trying to look like the fish they swam with, rather than parading around on land. Ivan supposed he was lucky to have the legs for it.

Despite his brave aggression, Ivan was nervous and uncomfortable on land. He didn’t have the social skills nor the gentle touch to deal with humans in a way that didn’t set off alarm bells. Especially considering without his glamour he’d be found out very quickly.

As he slunk down the Florida streets Ivan thought about the leech that had found him the night before. Perhaps he had a point- the chlorine was bad for Ivan’s skin. As embarrassing as kiddy pools were, they were better than hotel pools.

Ivan couldn’t help but wonder where the leech was now. No doubt holed up somewhere dark and quiet. He could sympathize. He was even envious.

It wasn’t that he meant to be offensive to Alfred- rather the opposite. He was trying to be amiable. But he’d never had many friends. Any other merfolk he found never wanted to talk to him and any fish tended to steer clear, what with the sharp teeth and all.

The ocean was tempting, but there was nowhere to go. Maybe a meal, but other than that it had nothing to offer him. Merfolk were territorial, and any place he vetted he was quickly run off. Even if they didn’t run him off they were disgusted by his appearance.

Ivan glanced down at his two legs. His tail was waving free- not that any could see it. He’d turn heads if they could. But that was two appendages too many. Two too many for someone who should be like a pig in shit in the ocean. Ivan curled up under a tree after dragging himself to the local park. His legs hurt and his feet were sore.

\---

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re out of the ocean,” Alfred whistled, poking at the lump of clothing beneath the tree. “Or, your pool I mean. You’re kinda cute, you know, when you’re not snapping your big ass jaws at helpless passerbies.”

“I stop snapping when helpless passerbies stop sticking yummy hands in my face.” Ivan curled tighter and growled. It sounded like a gargle, much like his laugh. Alfred had a feeling he was pushing Ivan's aggression from two to ten.

“I get it, I get it.” Alfred stood up. “It’s dark, you know.” Obviously, if he was out and about. “Get your chimera ass up and head to the open sea.”

“I do not like being called kee-mee-rah.”

“I don’t like being called leech.” Alfred stuffed his hands in his pockets. He didn’t mean to purposefully poke fun at the merman’s English, but… Well, he wouldn’t be him if he didn’t take a stab.

“Which is worse?” Ivan unfurled and rose to his knees. He was big. Nearly as big as Alfred just by kneeling. “Are you so stupid thinking I do not know what I am doing?”

“I think you’re lost. Maybe not lost like you don’t know where you are. More like you’re lost as in you don’t know where to go.” Alfred looked down into Ivan’s eyes. It was blurry and hard to focus on, like he were naturally deterred from looking.

If he focused hard enough he could see the hue of Ivan’s eyes. Hidden behind the glamour, but they were there.

“Hey, I mean… It’s too bad your face is ugly, ‘cause you got real pretty eyes.” Alfred had to snatch his finger back. Ivan meant it when he said he’d only stop snapping if Alfred stopped dangling meat in front of him. Alfred always did have a bad habit of pointing.

“It is too bad you are having ugly everything because you are annoying.”

“Still hitting raw nerves, hunh?” Alfred plopped down in front of Ivan. The merman noticed he had a glow about him in a way other leeches didn’t.

“Are you still waving pieces of meat in my face?”

“You sound grouchy. Had a meal?” Alfred grinned. Pearly whites weren’t the only things gleaming. Alfred was the picture of health.

Ivan didn’t respond. Alfred reached into his pocket and tossed Ivan a sandwich baggie. “You look thin, probably don’t eat much. I saved you a little from my last kill. I got the good bits, but you know, I saved you the meaty bits.”

Despite his distrust, Ivan tore the baggie to bits, plastic and blood littering the grass beneath him. Alfred was a dick, an annoying leech, but the meat was fair and the kill was fresh. "Is not human."

"Why, do you prefer human?" Alfred snorted. "You would think someone like you would get a taste of human flesh every now and then. With the big teeth and all."

"I have had human. Very juicy. Taste like nothing I eat before in ocean."

"Well, sorry about that. I'm kind of laying low. So no kills. That there in your hand is grade A steak." Alfred scooted closer to Ivan, watching him lap at the blood on the torn sandwich baggie.

"What is steak?"

"You know? Like a cow?"

"Cow like what is cow?"

Alfred's head hurt from the bad English. "Doesn't matter. It's easy to get and no one will notice a couple packs of steak missing from a big chain grocer."

"I do not know what any of those things are."

"That's okay big guy. You just enjoy your steak." Alfred pulled out another bag and handed it over personally. Ivan didn't snap, instead taking it from his hand in a civil manner. Alfred was impressed.

"So is it rude to ask like, what kind of shark you are? You're ugly so I'm going to assume that you're either a tiger, hammerhead or goblin." Alfred couldn't help himself- in his defense that was how he showed affection.

"I am hammerhead. You are ugly too."

"It's cool, I know I'm a raging hottie. Maybe not by mermaid standards."

"I am not maid." Ivan was licking his finger. Every last bit of steak was gone, disappeared behind three rows of teeth.

"I gathered. So like, what else are you? I get you're a merdude but like, what else are you?"

Ivan watches with a gaze that was wholesomely unamused. "I do not know. I was born in ocean."

"In the ocean like you've never known? I mean didn't your parents tell you?" Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, then slowly reached out. "Hey, don't freak out. I'm gonna touch your face."

"Why not asking me first?" Ivan didn't flinch away this time, but he didn't readily accept the touch either. Alfred's hand was warm to the touch. Ivan closed his eyes, basking in the warmth. "You're warm."

Alfred paused. "No I'm not." He was a vampire. Vampires weren’t warm.

Not that he could tell, seeing as he didn't feel warm or cold.

Ivan slowly wrapped his hands around Alfred's, pressing it to his cool skin. "You are warm." A cold blooded creature knew warmth, and Ivan more than definitely knew it. He pressed his cold lips to Alfred's heated palm. "Very warm."

"Whatever." Alfred took advantage and cupped Ivan's cheek. The skin was smooth. It wasn't dark enough to be human, not with the shade it was. It was different, an olive tone that reminded Alfred of dark monsters under bridges. "Maybe you're part troll," he laughed.

Though he joked, Alfred scooted in closer. The space between them felt more intimate. Alfred was itching to get to know Ivan better, and he personally loved getting physical to do so. It caused him a lot of problems on the vampire stage, but Ivan seemed fairly harmless when it came to that sort of thing.

"You seem like the kind of guy that would have a huge dick."

Okay, maybe that was a little forward.

Alarmed, Ivan pulled back. "Dick?"

"Yeah, you know. Your stiffy." Alfred motioned to his own crotch for emphasis. "The thing you piss out of? Or do mermaids not do that?"

Ivan looked puzzled, but he slowly unfurled his legs, then opened up the loose, ill fitting jeans. His loins were smooth, save for a soft bump. "You mean my claspers?"

"Wait- you mean plural? Like, there's more than one in there?" Alfred wondered if all merfolk had a weird pouch for their dicks. And also if all merfolk had more than one of them.

"I have two claspers." Ivan slowly rubbed the flap of the bump over his crotch, until two very familiar appendages peaked out. Alfred was amazed how human they looked. Or, humanoid rather. They were side by side, rather than one on top of the other like Alfred had envisioned.

"Wow," Alfred marveled. He looked like a kid in a candy shop. "I've been with a lot of monsters before, but I've never been with anybody with two dicks. Can I touch?"

"Be gentle- hha," Ivan grunted as Alfred fondled him. "They are sensitive. There is reason they stay inside."

Alfred nodded and watched Ivan's many expressions as he stroked one cock, then the other, then attempted both. Attempted being the key word. Ivan wasn't too long but he was thick. It made Alfred's mouth water. "Know how to use these things?"

Ivan squirmed, looking moderately uncomfortable. He seemed overstimulated. Alfred was going to guess virgin. He was breathing hard- "Only one."

"Pardon?"

"I c-can just one- I mean one arouses- one hard- j-just touch one." Ivan's breaths were ragged. He sounded dogged rather than pleasured. Alfred nodded and eased up on the touching, startling with just one shaft.

That was a little disappointing, but maybe he would try and see if they could work up to it. Alfred's dream of a one man DP might come true.

"Here, like this? If you're uncomfortable or anything just say so. I don't want you freaking out. Have you done this before?" Alfred's touch slowed. Softer, gentler. He didn't want to overstimulate Ivan.

"Touched..." Ivan's breaths were more even. The change was immediate with how much more comfortable he looked and sounded. "Never anyone- only me. Few times. Water..."

Alfred didn't quite understand what Ivan was trying to convey. He leaned in to get Ivan's attention, nose against his oily, olive skin. He had a tint of gray, but Alfred couldn't help but feel there was something more. "Hey, you can at least kiss good right?"

Ivan was reluctant. Alfred didn't blame him, what with the teeth and all. Again, the teeth were a big obstacle. All three rows of them. But Alfred closed the gap. There was a rush of familiar electricity. It felt good to be so intimate, like they were already closer just from a kiss. Alfred felt that way, anyway. He breathed deep. Ivan smelled like salt and chlorine.

"When you open your mouth make sure to push your lips out a little more. So my tongue doesn't get sliced up." Alfred kissed again, finding Ivan's lips rather amiable. He didn't fight. He molded, he listened. Ivan had the capability of being a great kisser, all he needed was practice. Alfred would be lying if he denied wanting to be the practice.

"You're doing great, my tongue is still in one piece," Alfred laughed. He brushed a hand through Ivan's mop of hair. He felt something tingling in his toes when he and Ivan touched again. He pressed his nose against the merman's jaw. He could smell a weeks worth of scent on him, but it was all so...melancholy. Dust, chlorine, salt, fish, oil, gasoline... He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Ivan's mouth. "You've been through a lot."

Ivan’s breath hitched and he turned away from Alfred’s touch. “You do not have anything better to say?”

“Sorry to dredge up some bad memories,” Alfred laughed breathlessly, pulling back. “Mm, you know, I was always told sharks had two dicks. But I never really believed them, you know? Well, I mean I believed them but I always got mixed signals. Like someone told me it was fins, someone’s told me it was your dick, someone told me they were just one split down the middle… Nice to know the truth.”

Ivan’s olive skin had a dark flush to it. Alfred licked his lips just imagining what the merman’s blood looked like- what it tasted like. He had to snap himself back into focus. “Only one we use- we use at time. Just one.”

“Yeah, I heard you.” Alfred moved his hand away from Ivan’s shaft, only for his wrist to be gripped and lead back. “Do you have a preference which one I give a blowjob to?”

“What is a blowjob?”

“Christ, you poor, unfortunate soul.”

Despite his cute joke, Alfred was serious about how horrified he was that Ivan had never gotten a blowjob. With two dicks he should have had twice as many as any other person. “I’ll take care of this.” He wiggled closer and dragged his fingers down Ivan’s face, forcing him to shut his eyes. “Just enjoy it, you’ll like it. Do you have a preference which dick I suck?”

Ivan didn’t say anything, so much as lead Alfred’s hand to one of his shafts. Alfred had a feeling the poor guy was too aroused to talk. There was a first for everything, of course.

Alfred nestled his face into Ivan’s crotch, cheek against the engorged flesh. Alfred brushed his knuckle on the rubbery flesh. Alfred was curious about exactly what parts felt like what. He kissed the soft skin, feeling Ivan shudder under the stimulation. It was amazing, really, just how little he had to do to make Ivan shut down from the feelings.

“Relax,” Alfred hushed, kissing up to the top of Ivan’s shaft and slowly wrapping his lips around the head. The shape was different than what Alfred was used to, but overall it wasn’t too out of the ballpark for Alfred. At least it wasn’t like that werewolf… He shuddered. That was a scenario he wouldn’t mind forgetting ever happened.

Alfred briefly wondered if he should ask if there were any surprises that merfolk had with their penises, but he had a feeling that Ivan wasn’t going to be talking any time soon.

Ivan was thick. Alfred could deep throat him easily, but he had to stretch his lips around him wide. Not that it was a bad thing. Alfred had a feeling he would love it, when it came time to get fucked.

“Just tell me when you’re gonna cum,” Alfred told him, coming off for a quick breath. He continued stroking Ivan’s thick shaft, looking up to him. His words were useless- Ivan was too far gone. Alfred took that as a compliment to his abilities.

Alfred went right back to it, bobbing his head, sucking in sweet and gentle. Too hard would force it, Alfred wanted to give Ivan a good first blowjob. He pulled off, stroking Ivan with his hand as he made a face. The taste was a little weird, though.

Alfred felt Ivan’s shaft pulsing and twitching in his mouth, wondering if Ivan was going to warn him any time soon. He was about to pause and ask again when he was grabbed by the the head and forced down, mouth flooding with salty, fishy liquid.

There was more than Alfred had anticipated. He coughed and pulled up, choking up semen. Wow- that was the foulest thing he’d tasted in a _long_ time, and he’d tasted orc cum.

“Shit, you couldn’t even give me a warning?” Alfred wiped cum from his chin and shook his head. He spat it up, spitting it onto the ground. “I was going to let you give me a facial, geez… Uh, hey?” No good, Ivan was snoring like a baby.

“Maybe I should take that as a compliment,” Alfred muttered as he pulled back. “Come on, big guy.” Alfred crouched and slung Ivan over his shoulder. Might as well get him somewhere safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> merman in a kiddy pool

It was clear. Clear and clean and everything felt right. Ivan breathed in the fresh, salty water. He felt right at home, dark and quiet. There was little to think about. It just felt right.

Bubbles escaped him. Big, fat, luscious bubbles that reminded him of home.

Ivan opened his eyes. It was dark. Quiet, dark, and salty. Wet. He slowly unfurled, coming to realize there wasn’t much space to spread out. He popped up above the water, looking about. It was pitch black. Ivan felt right at home.

As his eyes adjusted he slithered to the top of the pond, or…what was it? He felt along the plastic edges. Kiddy pool.

“Awake already?” The lights didn’t come on, like Ivan had assumed. Alfred was another creature of the night, it was a comfort to know that his light sensitivity was shared. As Ivan’s eyes adjusted he realized the room was rather large.

“This pool filled with seawater.”

“Yep.” Alfred plopped down beside the kiddy pool, cracking open a beer. “We’re in the basement of a beach house. Sounds like an oxymoron, hunh? Friend of mine knows the vamp who built the place, guy made it specifically so he could live on the beach and still be a vampire, y’know? Just gotta slip in through the shutters there. Anyway, guy rents out the basement space to young vamp kids who are trying to get out on their own. I happened to know a guy, back in my old coven who knows the renter, so I got my in.”

“You talk too much.” Ivan ducked under the water. “You brought in seawater for me?”

“Thought it would help you feel more at home. Gotta be better than pool water, right?”

Ivan nodded, laying his head on the rim of the pool. “Why in Florida. Sunny place not very good for leeches.”

"I really wish you’d stop calling me a leech." Alfred huffed and nursed his beer. "Anyway, Ieft my coven. I was settled with them back in good old New England. But, uh… Well, I got into some trouble."

"What trouble?"

"Enough trouble that I had to get out of there." Alfred shrugged and set down the beer bottle. "I mean, they didn’t force me to leave or anything. I chose to leave. But it’s not like they begged me to stay either."

"I understand."

"So, big guy, what’s your tragic backstory?" Alfred pokes, smiling to the merman. "Never thought I’d see a big ass human shark walkin’ around Florida streets. Or hanging out in hotel pools, for that matter."

Ivan shrugged. “I do not like to be talking about it. I come here because there is no other place to go.”

"Really? You’ve got the entire Atlantic Ocean, how hard could it be to find some place to go?" Alfred watched Ivan’s face contort in a way that made him realize just how hard a question that was. "Sorry, didn’t mean to be snippy or insensitive or anything. Just figured a merdude like you would have someone to turn to."

Ivan shrugged again and slowly dipped down below the water, until only his eyes peeked over. Alfred had a suspicion that he wouldn’t be getting any more out of Ivan.

"Being a chimera must suck, hunh?" Alfred picked up his beer again and looked down the neck of it. "I mean… It’s like you get the best of both worlds, but then nobody wants you. Once met this werewolf chimera, his mom had shacked up with some fae dude. You know how those fae are, all that free love and shit. Swear to god they pioneered Woodstock or something. But she had this guy and he didn’t even get the bad mutations or anything. He passed for a werewolf, he was real attractive like a fae, he could go out in daylight without sensitivity… But no one wanted him. I mean, I met the guy, I slept with the guy, I had a beer with the guy. He was a good guy. But no one wanted him because he was a chimera. And at the same time I didn’t even know it, because he passed as a werewolf so well.”

Ivan seemed interested. He perked up and moved to lean against the kiddy pool where Alfred was sitting. “He was not hideous monster?”

"Nah, he was real good looking. I mean, I guess not the best looking guy in the world if I had to choose, but he was decent. I’d rate him an eight."

"Eight?"

"Out of ten. Whatever, you sea people probably don’t have that." Not that it would matter, considering Ivan seemed very unsocialized. "But I mean, the point was it didn’t matter that he was a good guy. Didn’t even matter he was easy on the eyes. Soon as someone found out he was a chimera… I dunno. I mean, I’m no innocent party. When he told me even I was a little put off, you know? But in the end he was still my friend."

There was a heavy silence between them and Ivan broke it. “Am I your friend?”

"I dunno. Maybe. If you stop calling me a leech." Alfred splashed some water in Ivan’s face, only to have his hand snapped at. "And you need to stop nibbling on my hand, buddy."

"I told you I would stop when you don’t dangle pieces of meat in front of me."

"Okay, but for real, stop calling me a leech. It’s offensive and I really don’t like it." Alfred turned to grab another beer from the minibar. "Want a beer? I mean, I know me being undead and all I can’t really say I taste much, but it’s still nice." The greatest tragedy of being a vampire was not being able to feel a cold beer sliding down his throat. Just felt like swallowing more liquid.

"I am not drinking human drink."

"Suit yourself."

Alfred watched Ivan settle in. He seemed more comfortable in a kiddy pool full of seawater than he did in a hotel pool full of treated chlorine water. “Hey, I never got to hear your tragic backstory. I’m still waiting.”

"You will be waiting long time. You talk too much. Enjoy quiet."

Shrugging, Alfred laid down on the concrete floor. “Can’t say I enjoy the quiet much. There was a lot of quiet up in New England. Didn’t take to it like the others did.”

"Maybe you just live in a loud world."

The words were something to think on. Alfred closed his eyes, listening. It wasn’t that quiet in retrospect. The waves were crashing outside, the house was constantly creaking, settling, and Alfred could hear frogs croaking. No doubt several of them were in the house with him. It wasn’t quiet, but Alfred still didn’t like it.

"I think I like talking a lot more."

"I think you like talking to hear yourself talk," Ivan snorted, watching Alfred on the floor. He pulled back and sunk below the water briefly before he popped back up. "Maybe you be changing water soon."

"Still light out. I’ll get blazed to ashes," Alfred huffed. "I could be sleeping right now but I’m up keeping you company."

"Why? I do not mind you sleeping." Ivan grinned with all three rows of jagged teeth. "Maybe you like me."

"Maybe you should get a nocturnal schedule." Alfred was a grouchy boy whenever he didn’t get a full days worth of sleep. It was morning out, but that was late for Alfred. He was used to getting his usual 12 hours. Living close to the equator wasn’t prime choice for a creature of the night, but Alfred managed. He was always a big sleeper.

"Do leeches even sleep?"

"Hey, remember what I said about the leech thing?"

"Apologies. Do nightcrawlers even sleep?"

"Nightcrawler ain’t much better, dude."

Ivan shrugged. Alfred had a feeling he was just pushing buttons now.

"But yeah, for your information, _vampires_ do sleep. We sleep just like most folks do. Not a lot though. I always slept more than my coven. Guess I just preferred being cuddled up in bed with my bud than much else.” He remembered being so comfortable in bed with his coven, most of them pairing off or going off alone. Alfred was always jealous of the couples- but he could never pin down why, considering he wasn’t looking for romance. Sex and friendship yes, but romance was too much of a commitment.

"You could come sleep in here with me." Ivan looked sincere. Alfred felt bad for saying no.

"I dunno, it’d be cold. I might get hypothermia."

"Leeches don’t feel cold. It is not like you can die twice."

"Seriously, the leech thing, dude. Not cool." Alfred sure as hell wasn’t getting in there with him now. "You’re cute, but not if you keep calling me a leech."

"I cannot help myself, you are a leech." Ivan sunk down below the water.

Alfred sighed. There was no helping the leech thing. Ivan was going to keep calling him one so long as he continued to take issue with it. “Move over, I’m coming in with you.”

Stripping off all his clothes, Alfred settled into the water beside Ivan. The merman gladly cuddled up beside him, flush against his side. “You are warm,” Ivan husked out, hands grabbing around Alfred’s waist. “You are so warm.”

“I can’t be warm, I’m dead.”

“Maybe leeches are always warm, but you cannot feel it.” Ivan pressed his face into Alfred’s neck. Alfred tensed up, wary of the merman’s razor sharp teeth. But Ivan didn’t bite, or nibble, only nuzzled and rubbed. His skin was rubbery and soft, unlike most merfolk of the shark variety.

“Your skin is soft.” Alfred ran a hand down Ivan’s shoulder, feeling the texture of it. “I’m used to it being rough if you rub the wrong way.” Must be the part of Ivan’s other…whatever he was. Alfred still had no idea what kind of chimera he was besides part merman.

Ivan closed his eyes, slowly curling up around Alfred, almost protectively. His legs slipped around Alfred’s and his tail curled up to box Alfred in. “You smell better than leeches.”

“Have you even ever met a vampire before me?”

“Yes.” Ivan closed his eyes and gurgled in the back of his throat. “Yes. You are much nicer than other leeches.” A wayward hand felt up Alfred’s thigh. The webbed talons were soft to the touch. “They only speak of what my blood would taste like.”

Alfred didn’t avoid the touch. It was comforting, even. It made him feel closer to Ivan, more intimate. “I’m not much for adventurous eating. I mean, I guess I’m curious, but you’re not prey.” A predator, actually. Any vampire in their right mind would never tackle a fully grown shark merman, not alone anyway. Just glancing at Ivan, Alfred would know better than to try and turn him into food. As exotic a meal as it would be it wouldn’t necessarily be prudent or wise.

That was like a human trying to kill a lion with their bare hands just because they were curious about what a lion steak would taste like.

“I’m more interested in your dick, to be honest. Or, your dicks. Plural.” Alfred curled into Ivan’s touch, his own hand sliding down. He tried to find that little pouch Ivan’s claspers had emerged from, hoping to get a few orgasms in.

“Not now.” Ivan grasped his wrist and pushed him away. “Later.” Instead he curled into Alfred with a purr. Alfred was a warm haven in the cold water. Not that Ivan wasn’t used to the cold, he lived in it every day. But Alfred was like a beacon in the night, solace and welcome. Why he was warm didn’t matter to Ivan, so long as he got to enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred's tragic backstory is revealed

There were no nightmares that night.

For once in his life Ivan felt warm. He felt comforted by the gentle glow of his home. The smooth spot at the bottom of his reef where he slept was heated and comforting. It was always a welcome feeling, but especially so now.

As he opened his eyes he saw the cool, dark ceiling of the reef. When he touched it he felt at home. He wriggled out to the open sea, out of his cozy hole to feel along the edges of the forgotten reef. He couldn’t see far ahead, instead feeling his way forward.

The dark slowly receded away, giving way to the familiar glow of home. He knew every rock and every gully, ducking into coves and hidey holes. Everything was perfect.

Ivan woke up in the cold kiddy pool. His heart ached, wholly realizing he would never see his home again.

“You okay?”

Ivan slowly surfaced above the water, meeting Alfred’s face. He didn’t answer, only pushed up closer to the boy. He was so warm.

“You were saying someone’s name in your sleep… I think, anyway. It was kind of garbled by the water.” Alfred wrapped his arms around Ivan and cuddled up against him, enjoying the rubbery feeling of his skin. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“You tell me first what trouble makes you leave your coven.”

Alfred cleared his throat nervously and pulled away. “Uh… It’s seriously nothing big, I mean. It’s not like they kicked me out.”

“But you still leave.”

“Yeah, ‘cause…” Alfred squirmed under Ivan’s forceful gaze. “It’s sort of...complicated. Okay, let me just start from the beginning.

“Me and my buddy Matt were fucking around at dawn.” Alfred fiddled with his fingernails. “We just got done hunting for the night and we figured, ya’know… that we might just poke around in places we shouldn’t.”

“How old are you?” Ivan inquired, curiosity piqued. Alfred couldn’t be a very experienced vampire, could he? Fooling around in the daylight was never something a seasoned vampire would attempt.

“I’ve been a vampire since I was little. I dunno, you know we only age like, one year for every ten or something like that. Probably a little less than that.” Alfred picked at a hangnail, distracting himself from the story. “I forget when I was bit, but I’ve lived through the colonial times.”

Ivan tilted his head, a suspicious look in his eyes. “How old were you when you were leech?”

“Shit, since I can remember?” Alfred shrugged it off. “I dunno. But vampires can’t have kids, so. I know I was bit.” He looked away with a huff. “But anyway, we were fucking around outside and...the sun started to come up.

“Matt saw it first and we started runnin’ back to the coven.” Alfred took a long pause, going solemn. “Guess I just ran faster.”

Ivan let the silence continue, curling around Alfred protectively. “It is not your fault.”

“I was the reason we were even outside-” Alfred’s breath hitched. “If it wasn’t for me being a total shithead then he would still be alive and not a pile of dust.”

Ivan shrugged the comment off and stroked Alfred’s hair. “Hush, little one. You could not have saved him without losing your own life. Neither of you would have lived had you tried to help.”

“At least he wouldn’t have had to die alone,” Alfred mumbled, closing his eyes and turning into Ivan’s embrace. “After that I didn’t really...want to stay there. Matt was really the only person I was close with, in the coven… And I mean, of course I was friendly with everyone else, but-” He couldn’t go on, closing his eyes and shutting his mouth.

“Bad things happen,” Ivan said, patting Alfred’s head. He was awkward, unsure of how to comfort him. Usually he was the one who needed to be comforted- and usually without anyone there to do it. “Bad things will always happen.”

“I need to get out of the water,” Alfred mumbled. He slowly pulled away from Ivan’s comforting embrace to get out of the kiddy pool. He glanced at the window with the blackout curtains and took a cautious peek beyond them. “It’s dark out. Want me to change the water?”

Ivan stretched out and emerged from the pool. “I go into the ocean.” It would feel nice. “I want food.”

“I could use a meal too.” Alfred licked his lips, wondering if he had enough time for a good hunt. “I might leave you high and dry to go grab a quick meal.”

“I will not be back for hours.” Ivan shrugged and followed Alfred up the stairs and out of the house.

The beach was dark. Ivan looked out over the rolling waves of the ocean. It smelled like home. He took dogged steps towards the waves, slowly sinking down onto his stomach, curling into the sand as the salty waves lapped around him. He was comfortable just like that.

Alfred didn't bother him. He smiled and wandered off in the other direction. His meal of choice was in the city. 

\------

When Alfred came home from a good meal of human flesh Ivan still wasn't back. Alfred huddled up in the basement with another beer and waited for him to return. There wasn't much to do besides just...wait.

Daytime came and went. Alfred wondered if Ivan would ever return home. At the crack of twilight Alfred venture out into the dark beaches as the last bits of sunlight left the sand. Alfred had to remember that “home” was a suspended state of mind for Ivan- and for him too.

He slid down to sit in the soft sand, knees folded and toes spreading on the beach. The beach was nice, he hadn’t had enough of it in New England. Being alone reminded him too much of how quiet his life is, and it exhausted him.

Alfred laid on his back, stretched out on the beach with the waves lapping at his heels. He closed his eyes, occasionally opening them to stare at the clear sky with few stars. When he closed them again he felt someone curling into the sand beside him. He didn’t say anything, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Ivan chose to speak first, “You waited for me.”

Alfred still didn’t open his eyes. Instead he curled his his hand into Ivan’s, squeezing. “I guess, yeah. I’m kind of hungry. Bring me back anything, big guy?”

Ivan didn’t answer him. His voice was soft, “No one has ever waited for me before.”

Alfred opened his mouth to say something snappy, like how uncomfortably sappy Ivan was being. But he shut his trap and let the moment continue on. The melancholy tone penetrated him to the core. Mostly because he could, unfortunately, relate.

“I like you,” Ivan said, slowly moving until he was resting on his arm, looking down over Alfred. Their eyes met and he cocked his head. “Are we friends, Alfred?”

“I’d like to think so. Unless you’ve got something to say otherwise.” Alfred smiled up at the merman. “What’s up, big guy? Never had a friend before?” The sad slump in Ivan’s shoulders confirmed Alfred’s light teasing. “Oh… Oh, I’m sorry.”

Ivan shrugged and lowered himself back down to the sand, curling himself around Alfred. The young vampire felt Ivan’s long, wet tail digging into the sand for leverage. He turned towards Ivan and pressed his face into Ivan’s soft, rubbery chest. He smelled like salt and fish. Alfred couldn’t help but feel lethargic, laying on the humid beach with Ivan nestled against him.

He must have fallen asleep. He felt itchy, like his body was on fire. He imagined several sand critters must have bit him up good. Alfred pulled his head away from Ivan’s chest and hissed, covering his eyes from the harsh light of the sun.

He froze up.

The sun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred returns to his roots

Alfred didn't know what to do, or how to react. Should he stay still, just in case the sun's rays really would kill him if he moved, should he make a run for the beach house? He was lost. He was lost in the light, a place he had never thought he would be.

"Ivan," he choked out, unsure of what else to do. He stared down at his hands. His skin itched, he felt like he was on fire, like he would crumble to dust at any moment. "Ivan, please wake up."

The merman growled, burrowing further into the sand. He muttered words into the beach, slowly stretching out. "So bright…" He seemed to come to the same realization Alfred had and rose up, looking at the vampire. "You are alive."

He hadn't meant for them to sleep right through the night. Alfred was shaking, afraid to move. He was petrified, stuck in an endless state of too scared to move and too scared to stay. "Ivan, help me."

The merman slowly rose and hooked his arms right under Alfred's legs, hefting him up into his arms, shadowing him from the sun with his form. He trudged up the beach to the small house and kicked open the shutters to get inside. When they were safe inside the dark basement he set Alfred down. He felt dry and stretched too thin.

"Would you like to join me in pool?" Ivan asked, rubbing at his dry skin.

"It burns…" Alfred was still staring at his hands, as if they had blood on them. Ivan didn't question it, only stripped Alfred of his trunks and set him in the kiddy pool, soon joining him.

"You have sunburn," Ivan said, running a hand over Alfred's red arm. "In sun too long." He tried not to focus on the mounting cloud over Alfred's head, knowing it would only make it worse to dwell on the fact that he had survived what was probably an hour or two in the sun, instead of the allotted two seconds a vampire normally had.

"I shouldn't be alive."

Ivan didn't say anything. Instead he curled around Alfred, trying for comfort. The poor boy was probably confused and scared. There was no use for words, better he just show him comfort through touch.

* * *

Alfred refused to eat. Ivan didn't know what to do. All he did was sit in the kiddy pool and stared down at his lap with a look like shame on his face. The merman tried bringing him home fish from his nightly swims, only for Alfred to completely ignore it. He briefly pondered if leeches could even eat fish.

"Alfred," Ivan whispered, kneeling beside the kiddy pool. "You have not being up in three days." He shook Alfred's shoulder, nervous to think the vampire might never recover.

"Why couldn't I have just fucking died along with Matt?" The first words Alfred had spoken in days and Ivan had no answer for him. "I mean… I fucking survived that, I fucking...fucking survived _this_. Why? Why couldn't he have survived too? It was just a couple seconds...and...and apparently I can last _hours_. Why?"

He was rising to his feet, shaky as he rose out of the water. "I need to- to talk to someone about this… I have to, I can't just...just do this by myself."

"I am here for you, Fedka," Ivan offered, his voice soft. He reached out to touch Alfred's hand, only for Alfred to slip out of his grasp.

"No, I… I need to talk to a specific person about this." Alfred stepped out of the pool and rubbed at his arms that were peeling. "You can come, I guess. But I'm going to have to trek all the way back inland to New England. I don't know if you'll like that. Might as well just stay here."

Ivan had a feeling if he let Alfred go he would never see him again.

"I am not thinking so. I will come with. But I go by water. I can not being on land for too long, make me sick." He watched Alfred throw clothes on. "It is daylight out, you can not go yet."

"Why not? Since apparently I'll just fucking survive if I go out in the sun." The bitterness made Ivan shrink back, watching Alfred trudge through the room, gathering items of value.

"You will burn again." Ivan didn't like Alfred's tone. It reminded him too often of the cold words he heard in the ocean. "Where are we going? I must know how to get there."

"Look, I get you want to come, Ivan, but…" Alfred ran a hand through his hair. Ivan didn't like this. He was being told to stay. He didn't want to leave Alfred- the only real friend he'd ever had. "Look, there's just no clear cut way to get there by water."

"I can swim up the coast in the ocean, and then swim inland by the rivers," Ivan insisted. "The fresh water does not bother me."

"Can't you take a fucking hint? I'm telling you to fuck off," Alfred snapped, turning to face Ivan, hands curled into fists. His body was shaking and his eyes watery. Ivan jumped back, shrinking under Alfred's wrath. "Just- just go back to the fucking ocean! That's where you belong! Not on some wild chase after me to go back to my coven!"

"I am just-"

"Shut up! Just…" Alfred turned, shoulders shaking, and then sagging. "Just go back to the fucking ocean."

Alfred waited until he heard the basement shutters open and closed before he wiped at his wet eyes. Ivan would be better off where he really belonged, instead of strung along by someone on land.

* * *

Alfred remembered why he left. The cold New England weather would always do him in. Not the cold specifically. But the dreary clouds and the heedless atmosphere that made him feel as if he should constantly be mourning a death.

After too many days of hitchhiking and walking Alfred had had enough of the scenic route. He stuck his hands in his pants- his torn pants, the same ones he had been wearing when he hopped the hotel fence that seemed so long ago- and leaned against the brick wall beside a solid oak door. He reached over, rapping on it with his gloved knuckles.

"Who is it?" a muffled voice called out after several moments of shuffling behind the door. Alfred heard the sliding slot opened, where he knew the person in question was searching for the offending knock at his door.

"Guess who." Alfred tried not to think about how this would end. He just needed answers.

"Alfred?" The many locks behind the door jingled and unsnapped, and a short man with a furrowed, thick brow came out to see him.

"Surprise." Alfred shrugged, shoulders sagging. He tried not to look his coven leader in the eye. "I was wondering if I could come in for a talk."

The man nodded and made room for Alfred. He said nothing, a grim look on his face. As Alfred crossed the threshold of the door he pulled it shut behind them, all the locks sliding into place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred returns to New England for some answers

Alfred hadn't smoked in years. He tried not to think about it and just enjoy the cigarette. He did wish Arthur would open a window.

"You mentioned something about talking. Well, if you're back then you must want to talk a lot." The older vampire sat down with a platter of tea and biscuits. "Help yourself. You must be starved. You look like you haven't fed in days."

"I haven't." Alfred picked up Arthur's special blend of blood tea and slurped at it, flicking his cigarette into the ash tray. He'd never been one for Arthur's British manners. But then again, the guy had a stick so far up his ass the queen herself probably wouldn't be good enough for him.

"Tell me about your travels." Arthur dropped one sugar into his tea and stirred gently. "Last I heard you had gone down south. A bold move."

"Spent some time in South Carolina for a bit," Alfred mumbled, staring down at the tea. "Then it was Florida. Met some new people, I guess."

"Anyone in particular?"

Alfred glanced up, catching Arthur's steady gaze on him. He lowered his eyes again. His chest was aching. "No one important, I guess."

Arthur nodded and set down his tea. "You seem like you have questions."

"Yeah. I recently found out I can walk in the sun. Direct enough for you?" Arthur always claimed he liked people to be blunt.

The older vampire sighed and shook his head. "I knew this day would come. I'd always hoped you would never find out. I thought that row with Matthew would deter you from the sun."

"A _row_? A _row_? _That's_ what you're calling what happened to him?" Alfred dropped the tea and rose to his feet like thunder, fists curled and tight against his hips. "Who the fuck do you think you are? He fucking _died_. Why don't you show some fucking remorse and treat it like it actually is! Don't fucking pussyfoot around it by calling it a _row_!"

Arthur pursed his lips, leering at the wasted tea on his fine carpet. "Sit down, you brat. I was trying to be sensitive. I _know_ he died, Alfred. If anyone has a right to be upset by his death then it should be me."

"Oh, fuck off!" Alfred snapped, clenching his jaw. " _You_ have a right to be upset? That was my _best friend_ , and it's _my fault_ that he's dead. Don't fucking tell me how upset you are when you barely paid him any attention at all."

"I said sit down, you brat." Arthur placed his hands on his knees and gave one last lamenting look to the spoiled tea on his carpet. "You'd think I raised you better than that. It isn't your fault he's dead, Alfred. But let's not dwell on it. We can't change the past."

"Except for how apparently I can't even die in the fucking sun- might have wanted to swing that by me sometime after my best friend died, since I was so beat up about it."

"Quiet down. You're making this out to be so much worse than it is. Honestly, you have a gift." Arthur picked up his tea again and pursed his lips once more, as if deep in thought. "Listen to me. I'm going to tell you, ahh… You remember your...maker."

"Yeah, why? He died a long time ago." Alfred shifted uncomfortably. Poor bastard shot right through the heart with a silver bullet. He tried not to dwell on it. "Like, I was still a kid when that happened."

"And I promised him I would never let anything come to harm you. That's why I've taken such careful interest in you all this time, Alfred." He rapped his fingers against his knee. Alfred tensed up. He felt like he was about to hear devastating news. His gut told him nothing good could come from this.

"Your maker never bit you."

Alfred waited for Arthur to say something else. It felt like his statement was incomplete. "That...okay. Who _is_ my maker then? It's not- not you, is it?"

"No, no, I mean… Ahh…" Arthur rubbed his temple with both hands. "What I mean by that is that he was never your maker, he was...your father."

The conversation lapsed again. Alfred didn't understand. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Vampires can't-"

"Alfred, do you ever remember being bit?"

Taken aback, Alfred shrunk away from his coven leader's words. "No. I was too young."

"Interesting, consider every other vampire I've ever met can remember when they were bit." Arthur sipped his tea, nonchalant to the very end. "How young were you when you were bit? Do you remember?"

"No, I-" When _had_ he been bitten? "I...I don't remember. It had to be before I was...was five, and-"

"Alfred, you've been a vampire your entire life." Arthur set his empty teacup down and folded his hands in his lap. "You've always been a vampire. You were never bit. You've been as you are for your entire life."

"But- but… But vampires can't...have kids."

"Vampires can't have children with other vampires."

It took a moment for Alfred to process. "That...that means...I'm…"

"Yes, it does." Arthur sighed and shook his head. "Like I said, I knew this day would come, but… I had hoped to keep it secret from you. I know you knew you were different from the others, but...well, you fit in well enough. No one ever suspected."

Alfred held his head in his hands. His entire world was turned upside down. "I'm a fucking chimera, and you never thought to tell me? You sack of-"

"Alfred, please." Arthur silenced him and rose to his feet, fluidly moving to sit beside Alfred. He placed a hand on the poor boy's shoulder. "I never told you for this exact reason- you would take it badly."

"How can I not take it badly? No one ever told me! Shouldn't I be the first one to know this?" Alfred jumped up to his feet once more, whipping around like he had been burned by Arthur's hand. "Don't touch me! You knew this entire time, and you never bothered to say _anything_?"

"I thought it would be better if you never knew."

"What else am I?"

"Pardon?"

"What the fuck else am I? What have you been hiding from me? Why could you never fucking tell me?" Alfred demanded, fists clenching once more. It took all he had not to jump Arthur and wrap his hand around his throat. If he did that he would never get out alive- it was no secret Arthur was more powerful than any other vampire in the area.

"It isn't your, ah...your other _half_ that made me not tell you, if that's what you think." Arthur tried to calm Alfred down, motioning for him to sit. Alfred's staunch refusal remained. "Your mother was fae. The reason I never told you was… Well, because chimera aren't treated right, Alfred. You can pass just fine for a vampire, you eat like one, you live like one, there was no reason to tell you."

Alfred stared down at his feet. And then he looked at his hands. He remembered Ivan's words, remembered his touch and his quiet voice.

 _You are warm_.

"I guess I should have guessed." Alfred crumpled to the floor. He rested his head on his knees, curling in on himself. "I never really fit in here."

He felt so _stupid_. He felt like a _fool_. He felt like he should have known so long ago, like he should have figured it out long before. He thought of all the times that he'd felt so different from the other members of the coven and he felt like he should have _known_.

"Don't be like that." Arthur knelt beside Alfred, hand on his back. "You've always fit in here, lad. It's not as if you're an alien. You belong in a coven. You're a community creature. Fae are not so different than vampires, there is a _reason_ you never suspected."

"Of course they're fucking different from vampires!" Alfred shoved his coven leader away, falling back. "The only thing they have in _common_ is that they're community creatures!"

"Alfred…" Arthur was at a loss for words. "I know you must be upset, but I…" What could he say?

"Upset?" Alfred laughed. It was bitter and hard on his tongue. he wiped at the tears in his eyes. "What makes you think that? I'm not upset at all! I just found out I'm a fucking chimera is all."

The older vampire exhaled, as if the world were coming to a stop. "I can't begin to imagine how betrayed you must feel right now, Alfred. _But_ you need to think rationally. You need to-"

"The only thing I need to do is get the hell out of here." Alfred rose up on shaky feet, shouldering past Arthur. "No point in being in a vampire den if I'm not a fucking vampire."

"Alfred, you _are_ a vampire." Arthur grabbed him, forcing him to turn. "You were raised as a vampire, you were taught as a vampire, you live your life as a vampire, you _are_ a vampire. Denying that now is only going to ruin the life you _have_."

Alfred yanked his arm back. "My life was ruined when Matt died."

With his word spoken, Alfred turned and slammed the door on his way out. He left Arthur dumbstruck and alone.

Alfred didn't know where he ended up, and he didn't want to know. All he knew was he was away from Arthur. He would never be far enough away.

He sat on a gentle slope, overlooking the town and finally let it all out. He bawled and sniffled, crying into his arms. There was an entire part of himself that he had never known about, that had been deliberately _kept_ from him. All he could think about were the days he had missed in the sun, days he had gone without knowing he had a gift, or the history he had been blind to.

He felt like half of himself was missing.

A webbed hand gripped his shoulder and he looked up, his wet tears like razors on his cheeks. He didn't even ask why Ivan was there, he just grabbed him and cried into his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred gets some well needed comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm having computer troubles so its kind of hard to update lately, but hopefully I'll have it sorted out soon

Alfred didn't know who the hot tub belonged to. Some old couple past their prime who wanted to rekindle their passion. He tried not to think too hard about it. He took comfort in laying on the wooden deck just outside the steamy pool intended to set drinks on, fingers dipping into the water as his other hand held a cigarette. He'd offered one to Ivan, but the merman had given him a weird look and asked what the hell a cigarette was. He took that as a no.

"I had no idea these existed." Ivan was happy as a clam. He was bubbling below the heated water, occasionally popping up to nudge and prod at Alfred. "I want one."

"Good luck, they cost like, thousands of dollars. I don't know about you, little mermaid, but I don't have that kind of cash lyin' around." Alfred couldn't help but smile. Ivan was so naive. He still couldn't believe the merman had swam all the way up the coast and followed him. He tried not to think of his harsh words before their parting. It was better if he didn't think about it.

"I want one," Ivan repeated, folding his arms on the edge of the tub. His feet kicked above the water. "Especially if it can being adjusted to right temperature, will keep me from being sick so much."

"You'll just get sick if you stay in that heat too long." Alfred snorted as he watched Ivan's bubbling. "Aren't you mermaids just glorified lizards? You need like, special temperatures and shit."

"I am not appreciating of that comment." Ivan reached out and swatted at him, his webbed hands making a playful clenching motion. "I handle well for some hours before being sick."

"What about this cold?" Alfred motioned to the brisque weather. Not that he could feel it. His heart ached. What if he _could_ feel it? Why couldn't he have gotten _that_ part of his fae blood? He wanted to feel the warmth Ivan said he had.

"Cold is alright, is dry that makes me sick." Ivan made a motion with his hand. "But being on land for too long doing that to me anyway."

"Maybe you really should…" Alfred didn't finish that sentence. He still felt guilty about his words to Ivan. He had only tried to break it off gently, tried to make it about Ivan's own health. "Wouldn't the ocean be healthier for you?"

Ivan held his gaze for too long to be comfortable. "The ocean has nothing to offer."

"It has food."

"Many places having food." Ivan slowly sunk back down into the water. Alfred wondered if he had shaken him off.

Unsure, Alfred reached forward. He was hesitant- every other time he'd reached towards Ivan with an outstretched hand the merman had snapped at him with all three rows of vicious teeth. "What place has something to offer?"

Ivan didn't snap at him. As Alfred curled the hand under the merman's cheek he turned into it, his webbed hands clutching Alfred's forearm. "Wherever you are."

Alfred felt like Ivan was squeezing his heart. "After the awful shit I said to you?"

"I have heard worse."

He tried not to dwell too long on that. Instead he shed his pants and slid into the hot tub with Ivan, arms curling around the merman's broad chest. His rubbery skin was soft, under water. He came in close, their lips almost touching. Then he pulled back. "You remember how to kiss me without tearing my mouth to shreds, right?"

"I am not promising, but I can try." Ivan's mouth turned up in a wide smile. Alfred's lips were soft and he treasured the taste. Like iron and sugar.

Alfred tried to keep their kissing careful. It was hard not to get carried away when all he wanted to do was tonguefuck Ivan all to hell. "You're better than before, that's for sure." He took a deep, hallowed breath and pressed his forehead against Ivan's. "How can I make up for saying all that bullshit?"

Ivan shifted, and Alfred watched his face go from nervous to apprehensive. "I am having an idea… But unsure if you are wanting it too."

"I have a feeling I know what you're talking about." Alfred grinned, one hand on the edge of the hot tub and the other on Ivan's shoulder. "And just for the record, I'm-"

" _Dammit, I thought I told you damn kids to stay out of my hot tub!"_

Alfred yelped as a rock was flung past his head. He scrambled out of the water, grabbing his pants, and then grabbing Ivan. The poor merman was shocked and his bowed legs weren't so good for a fast getaway.

Three blocks of running, out of breath and laughing, Alfred stopped, hugging his knees to catch his breath. "That was fantastic- I feel like a kid again, getting caught with someone where I shouldn't be." He was glad he had remembered to grab his pants this time.

"I am not understanding," Ivan wheezed out. He sunk to his knees beside Alfred, breathing hard. "I need water."

Alfred paused his reminiscence to turn a quiet smile to Ivan. "Come here, big guy. I know where a stream is. We'll get you some water. Hope you don't mind cold rivers, because that's all we've got here."

* * *

Ivan seemed to mind the cold less than he said- Alfred had a feeling the poor guy wanted too badly to be a tropical fish stuck in the Atlantic. Alfred stuck to only wetting his feet.

"So before we got royally interrupted, what were you saying I could do to make up for myself?" Alfred teased, brushing his fingertips along the merman's back as he swam by Alfred's feet.

Ivan beached himself on the rock Alfred had taken stock on. He smiled wide, sharp teeth glinting as his fin curled up behind him, his feet on either side. "I was thinking perhaps you would be interest in copulating with me."

"It's a lot sexier if you just say 'fuck.'" Alfred leaned back on his hands. "How do we make that work? I mean, with your two dicks side by side like that, and you can only use one… They're pretty close together. Isn't that uncomfortable for you?"

"They are flexible." Ivan shrugged. Alfred thought he looked very much like a mermaid, with his tail flipped up and webbed hands splayed over his cheeks, resting on his elbows. He kept it to himself- Ivan never liked it when he called him a mermaid.

"Damn." Alfred patted at his pants pocket. "Guess I lost my pack of cigarettes."

"I am curious about them," Ivan perked up, crossing his arms in front of him and laying his chin on his forearms. "What are cigarettes for?"

Alfred shrugged. "For fun, I guess. They calm me down. I haven't smoked in a while. I used to be a chimney." Back when it was cool. Then everyone started getting all health conscious, and then he couldn't smoke in most public areas…

Ivan seemed confused by the metaphor. "Chimney?"

"It's an expression. I used to smoke a lot. I was never an actual chimney." Ivan's social ineptitude escaped him half the time they were together- Ivan functioned like any other person, despite his severe lack of social skills. And his broken English. Oh, and the tail.

"You have odd phrases. Down below we have drugs like this, but more natural. We can not be engineering new drugs, we do things like chew puffer fish and snort squid ink."

"You've got some weird drugs, down in the ocean," Alfred laughed, leaning in to kiss Ivan's nose, then trickling down his cheek, to his lips. Ivan leaned into his kisses, a slight gurgle escaping him. "Sounds like doing shrooms or something."

"What are 'shrooms?'" Ivan asked, looking amused. He clutched Alfred's chin with his webbed fingers, grinning. "Is that some kind of human drug? I would like to try some. In return I will let you chew on puffer fish- will be funny you telling me what you see."

"Aren't those things poisonous?" Alfred asked, raising an eyebrow at the merman. "How'd we get to talking about how flexible your dicks are to eating puffer fish?"

"You can't die twice." Ivan shrugged and tilted his head up for another kiss, which Alfred gladly gave him.

"Not so sure about that anymore," Alfred sighed, glancing down into the river's murky flora. "I can't feel cold like a vampire. I can't die in the sun like a vampire. I could just die some day. Who knows. Fae aren't immortal like vampires are...are they?"

Ivan shrugged. "I am not knowing much about the woodland folk."

"I dunno where you've been these past hundred years, but Fae aren't woodland folk anymore." Fae were right up there with the hippie folks. They often lived in sunny areas with plenty of organic produce. "They like to call themselves _modern_."

"I do not understand," Ivan huffed, puffing up his cheeks. "Are they woodland folk or not?"

"They used to be," Alfred replied, folding his legs. "Now they live in cities and preach about being vegans." They'd always been vegans, but now in society they had a pedestal to crow from.

"What is a vegan?"

"It's not important, buddy, you'll never be able to be one anyway." Alfred couldn't help but laugh, leaning in to kiss Ivan once more. "Hey...we were talking about your flexible dicks."

Ivan's smile spread wide and he rolled onto his back. "Here, I will show you!" The merman had no reserves about rubbing the leathery flap over his groin, until his claspers emerged. He took one in each hand, displaying to Alfred exactly how flexible they were. "See? Can easily only use one."

"Is there like, _any_ chance that we could use both?" Alfred asked, leaning over the merman. He dragged a hand down Ivan's wet chest to his pelvis, settling for gripping one of his cocks. "You know, one man DP."

"What is a dee-pee?"

"It means double penetration. Two dicks means double penetration," Alfred snorted. He couldn't help but smile to Ivan. No matter how often Ivan surprised him by his lack of knowledge, he would never mistake it for naivety.

"I am not sure," Ivan mused, purring as Alfred kneaded his shaft. "It becomes not very nice after too much. Very sensitive. Not this time for sure."

"Guess we'll just have to work you up to it." Alfred sealed the deal with a kiss, still kneading and squeezing Ivan's shaft. "You know, I've been thinking about sex with you for a while. Glad it's finally gonna happen."

"You think about copulating with me often? Good! That is a very nice compliment," Ivan giggled, rolling his hips up into Alfred's touch.

"Seriously, just say 'fuck' it's way sexier." Alfred kissed down Ivan's olive skin, down his throat to his collar bone. He straddled the merman's waist, grinning down at him. "Wanna help me with my pants?"

Ivan nodded, gladly liberating Alfred of his pants. He tossed it onto the dirt behind them, hands groping Alfred's narrow hips. "I am not sure how you go preparing yourself…"

"Like this," Alfred hushed, sucking on a couple fingers and reaching back to finger himself. He rocked back on his fingers with a groan, eyes slipping shut. "Too bad we don't have lube or condoms. I'm going to assume you don't have any diseases, since you've never slept with anyone."

"You can get diseases from sex?" Ivan seemed greatly disturbed by this. Alfred had to assuage his frustrated looks with another kiss.

"Yes, but don't worry, I don't have any. That's why we usually have condoms." Just this once would be fine, but then Alfred was going to stock up on condoms. "We just have to make sure you pull out before you cum, alright?"

"Why?" Ivan seemed confused again, "Is that how you get diseases?"

"Uh, well, sometimes, but for me it's more for, y'know...cleanliness." Nothing was worse than shitting cum for two days. Plus, he'd tasted Ivan's cum and he didn't want that inside him. He was starting to think Ivan's other half was something foul, like an orc or a troll. Or maybe that was just how mermen tasted. He'd probably never know for sure.

"You do not want mess," Ivan confirmed, nodding along with Alfred. He made a soft noise as Alfred rubbed one of his shafts between his cheeks. "You are wanting to ride?"

"Yeah, that'll be best." Alfred wiggled on top of Ivan, his knees framing the merman's hips. He could feel Ivan's shafts rubbing against his behind. "Those things are pretty impressive, you know?" He gripped one, feeling it pulse against his palm. "I mean, not very long, but it's nice and thick- and you've got two of them."

"All sharks have two claspers," Ivan grunted, his hips jutting up into Alfred's touch. He breathed out a whine as Alfred stroked him, grinding against him, a desperate look in his dark eyes. Alfred took pity on him, pressing his shaft between his cheeks and grinding back.

"Good to know, in case I ever fuck a shark," Alfred laughed, leaning down to press a small kiss to the corner of Ivan's mouth. The merman growled and gripped him by the hair, holding him down for a hard kiss full of teeth and spit. Alfred liked the kind of kisses Ivan gave.

"Just a sec," he huffed out, making himself comfortable on top of the merman. He spat into his hand, spreading it over the head of Ivan's shaft. "We want it to go in smooth." When Ivan was equipped with enough spit, Alfred pressed the tip to his hole, sucking in a deep breath as he slid down. He leaned back with his hands on the rock, breathing in deep. It had been a while for him. But it felt nice, he felt closer to Ivan already. The intimacy helped.

A thought struck Alfred, and he wished it hadn't. All the times he'd had sex with someone, just to become closer to them, to further their friendship, they had tried to bring up a relationship, and he realized just how often he'd seemed like an over-eager, promiscuous tease. And he couldn't help but feel bile rise in his throat, knowing it was the Fae in him using sex as a way to form platonic community. "Fuck."

"What?" Ivan grunted, looking up at Alfred through hazy eyes.

"Nothing." Alfred tried not to think about it. There was a nagging thought in the back of his head that Ivan might think they were in love, that they were in a relationship, that there was commitment involved- Alfred didn't like that.

Ivan bumped him and Alfred brought himself back to the real world. "Is Alfred hurting?"

"No." Alfred dug his knees into the ground on either side of Ivan, rocking back on his thick shaft. "Just relax, buddy. Feel good?"

"Very good," Ivan keened, webbed hands scrabbling to grip on something. Alfred guided them to his hips and let him hold tight. Alfred watched the pleasured look on Ivan's face contort with ever touch and shuffle. Alfred leaned down to kiss away the good feelings from his lips.

"You're so warm," Ivan puffed out breathlessly. Alfred tried not to think about it. He hushed Ivan with his mouth, letting the merman guide his hips up and down. Alfred slid his hands from Ivan's chest to the ground behind his head for leverage. "Touch me."

Alfred didn't know where to touch. He kissed Ivan again and slid one hand down his shoulder to his side, feeling the rubbery skin. "Feel good?" He wasn't sure what he was feeling. But Ivan seemed happy, And that was all Alfred could ask for right then.

Alfred didn't find the orgasm entirely fulfilling like it should have been. But seeing Ivan clench and mewl beneath him, watching him shudder and puff out breathless desires to Alfred was better than he could have imagined.

"Here you go, big guy." Alfred stroked his shaft, helping Ivan finish. He would definitely stock up on condoms. Alfred liked the merman and all, but he had some nasty fluids.

Ivan seemed pleased and nuzzled up against Alfred, his sharp teeth nibbling at Alfred's skin. He hadn't thought Ivan was capable of being that gentle. "I have fun. You are good lover."

"Thanks," Alfred hummed, curling against Ivan's body and sighing as he relaxed against the merman's rubbery chest. He wasn't the most comfortable, but at least Ivan wanted to cuddle. "You did alright. Maybe next time you can take me instead."

"Will be difficult. But we make it work," Ivan giggled, nosing Alfred's hair and sighing gently. "Where are we sleep tonight?" They couldn't very well hang out in a river for the whole night. Well, Ivan could. He had doubts that Alfred would enjoy it.

"I'll find some place. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stick it out here in the river?" Alfred reached for his pants and fingered the pocket where his cigarettes had been. He pulled his clothes on, trying not to think about the familiar town behind him. "I'd prefer not to go back into town. Arthur is there."

"Who is that?" Ivan rolled over into his knees, watching Alfred clothe himself. He reached out to touch Alfred's hand, pulling it back to nuzzle his warm flesh. "Still so warm."

"Yeah...thanks." Alfred didn't want to be reminded that he wasn't cold like he was supposed to be. Or maybe he was supposed to be warm, and not cold. He wasn't sure. "Arthur's my c- my...old coven leader." He wasn't about to claim that place as his own. It no longer belonged to him.

"You go to see him, yes?" Ivan touched Alfred's palms, tracing the lines along them with his talons. "You get answers from him?"

"Sort of. I got answers about the...you know. I wasn't very happy about it." Alfred pulled his knees to his chest, staring over the hill, where the town lay behind. "Let's talk about something else."

Ivan nodded and came to rest behind Alfred, circling his arms around him and nestling his face into the crook of Alfred's neck. He didn't say anything. He let them lapse into a comfortable silence, with his limbs curling protectively around Alfred.

Alfred threaded a hand through Ivan's hair, rubbing the silky strands between his fingers. He was about to comment about how soft it was when he was interrupted.

"Alfred- I've been looking for you everywhere."


End file.
